The First Date  A Pokémon Romance
by BenRG
Summary: My first pure AAMRN.  Warnings for fluff and angst.  You know, I've always said I'm not a romance writer, but an action writer who uses romance.  Maybe I was wrong...


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Pokémon

The First Date – an AAMRN by Ben Russell-Gough

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Disclaimer

I want to make one thing clear, just one. I DON'T own Pokémon or any of the characters or situations from either cartoon or game. Got that Nintendo? Game Freak? 4Kids? Good. I wish I DID own them, then I could quit work and write Pokémon for a living… and they would HAVE TO MAKE THE CHARACTERS DO AS I SAY!!! [Maniacal laughter].

In any case, no infringement of any legal property or copyright intended. This is a non-profit work written for the author's (and the reader's) enjoyment and the author's ego gratification. Sorry if I sound a little odd today, but I've just read a really weird fic and I still haven't come down from my sugar/caffeine high.

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Author's Notes

O-kay… I have never done a straight AAMRN before, so sorry if I offend anyone by inadvertently breaking a taboo or something. People who have read _Avenger_ will note that I am a believer, but that I tend to bury any romance story lines inside angst, violence and the revelation of destinies of global, nay, _interstellar_ proportions. I blame _Star Wars_. 

Anyway, I figure that as Ash and Misty go over the 'hormones on' wall of turning 14, if there is anything between them, we will find out. This is my shot at what might happen when Ash finally screws up his courage enough to _dare_ to ask Misty out. Don't worry, Team Rocket is in it (and get their lily-white asses whupped into the middle of next decade) and I will also try to work in a first kiss or something… Nuts, just go and read the story will you?

Text in [Square Brackets] is translations of Pokémon language to English

Text in _Italics_, but not in quotes are thoughts or psychic communication.

Continuity Note: This is in the _Avenger_ universe, so Giovanni founded Team Rocket about five years before Ash was born. Ash is Giovanni's son (though he does not know that yet) and Professor Oak has been secretly grooming him for a little special project of his for some time.

CONTENT WARNING: Serious angst and mush ahead!

Ages: Ash and Misty are both 14; Tracey is 16; Brock is 21; Jessie and James are both 20.

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The First Date

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Chapter 1 – Birthday Boy… no, sorry, 'Man'

"Happy Birthday, Ash!" shouted the friends and family of Ash Ketchum. Ash, who was barely awake and still in his PJs, looked around the living room with an expression that suggested he was witnessing a vision of the deepest pits of hell itself. His Mother, Misty, Brock and Tracey were all standing around in their party-best clothes and grinning at him. A large pile of wrapped gifts sat on the table and there was a large amount of food on a table at the back.

"Er…" was all Ash could say for a moment. _Say something you moron_, his subconscious wailed at him, but all Ash could think of was his friends and family were having a party in his honour and he looked like something an Arcanine had dug up.

Pikachu, who was sitting by his feet, decided to save his Trainer the humiliation of standing there stupidly. He fired a point-accurate static pulse into Ash's ankle making him yelp in pain.

"Ow!" Ash said. "Oh… Oh Mom, guys this is great… Jeez I wish I was dressed already!" Ash rubbed his chin self-consciously. He had started developing stubble in the last few months and the thought of being unshaven at his own birthday party only made him feel worse.

"You should wake up earlier, Ashy-boy," Misty teased him. "Happy Birthday, Ash." She walked over and kissed him on the cheek, as he had done to her on her fourteenth a month ago. "Debt settled," she explained with a friendly wink.

"I think we should let Ash retreat and dress before he dies on the spot," Brock suggested with a grin.

Delilah laughed at the stricken look on her only son's face. "Oh Ash, for goodness sake do as Brock suggests," she chuckled. "You look absolutely mortified!" Ash was only too glad to race up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him.

***

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Who would have thought it? Ash thought that night. _That went really well!_ He sat in a sun lounger on the 'terrace,' the roof of the garage that he and Brock had converted into a summer relaxation spot last winter. He was dressed in his more usual 'off duty' attire. Gone was the wannabe hell-raiser gloves and sports jacket. He was just Ash Ketchum in jeans and black tee shirt.

The party had been excellent. Brock, who was always revealing new surprises, had turned out to be an excellent formal cook. Therefore, Ash was quite full and feeling pleased with himself. 

He leaned back with a sigh and traced the constellations above him. He was a boy… no a man, he _was_ fourteen now, he reminded himself with some pomposity. He was a man at peace with himself for the day. After winning the Indigo Challenge Cup last year, he had entered the Indigo Division… and had become the Division Champion! Next year was the opportunity to defend that title and fight in the Champion's League to claim the title of Supreme Champion. _One step closer_, he thought to himself.

Ash was suddenly struck by a thought. He would only have to win three Supreme Championships in order to face the Elite Four and become a Master Trainer. That meant that he could easily achieve the goal that had motivated him since childhood by his… my God… by his seventeenth birthday! _What will I do with the rest of my life?_ He asked himself in amazement.

Suddenly, Ash's thoughts were interrupted. He didn't know whether he was pleased or displeased. In any case, the appearance of his oldest travelling companion… oh, who was he kidding… his closest friend, Misty Waterflower was welcome.

"Hey, Ash," she said. As usual, Misty acted as if she owned the place and sat down on the lounger next to Ash with a sigh of relief. "A great party," she said.

"Yeah it was," Ash said. "Thanks for the present, by the way," he added. "I really needed a new jacket after what that Nidoking did to my old one."

"You lost a jacket but you kept your life," Misty reminded him. "Besides, I couldn't let you run around in that bundle of rags now you are a Division Champion." She grinned mischievously. "I have my own reputation to think of you know, most people know we hang out together."

"Misty…" Ash shook his head. "For once in your life, will you admit you acted out of friendship rather than enlightened self-interest?"

Misty giggled and nudged Ash playfully. "Why?" she asked. "You get all cute and ruffled when I do it this way."

"_Cute?_" Ash asked in horror. Misty went bright red and looked away when she realised exactly what she had said. Ash stood up and started pacing. Misty watched him in a combination of amazement and amusement. "Misty, 'Cute' is for toddlers and pre-teens!" he exclaimed in agitation. "I'm fourteen now, and I don't want to be 'cute' anymore!"

Misty couldn't help herself. She started laughing at Ash's pomposity and the distress he was feeling at being described as 'cute.' She subsided when she saw the stricken look on her best friend's face. _Wait a minute!_ Misty said to herself. _When did _he_ become my best friend?_

Probably when he let me hang around with him and actually acknowledged my existence as a person, a cynical voice replied. _That was… what? Two weeks after I started following him? He was the first person to be even grudgingly nice to me since Mom died._ "Ash," Misty said. "Come back down for heaven's sake. I was just saying that I like it when…" she giggled again. "I like it when you get all flustered. Don't get me wrong but you are adorable when you go all red like that."

Ash obliged by going red immediately. Misty tried not to laugh, but she had to.

"More with the maturity thing," Ash grumbled. He ran his hand through his always-untidy hair in frustration. "Waa… Misty, please. I am growing up here. I don't want to be 'cute,' 'adorable,' or anything else usually associated with toddlers!"

"Growing up?" Misty asked in horror. "Ash, you are _never_ growing up. You will always be the same cocksure, obnoxious brat I have always known and follow around in the vain hope you'll replace my bike one day."

"Hey I promised didn't I?" he asked in a mournful tone. Misty fiddled nervously with the 'Promise Ring' Ash gave her at the beginning of the year and had to admit he had done that. _All right_, Misty told herself firmly. _You've had your fun, Misty. Now, as he is your friend, kindly lay out your cards_.

"Ash," she said. "I didn't mean to put you down or anything. It is just…" Misty paused. How to say this? "I've known you for four years now, since we were both ten. It is just… difficult to imagine you as anything but a kid when I've never seen a 'grown-up' Ash." Ash did not reply. He stood and looked at her in a strange way that made Misty nervous. "Anyway," she said. "Don't stay up too late. Today may have been a holiday, but tomorrow it is back to training." Misty stood up and walked off. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Ash was watching her, fiddling with the Promise Ring she had bought him (as a sort of revenge, she told herself at the time) watching her thoughtfully.

***

Delilah was just finishing tidying up. The big downside of parties is the sheer amount of rubbish they generate. Brock and Tracey had sweetly helped clean up. Ash and Misty… Delilah sighed. Despite her hardest efforts for the entirety of Ash's life and the four years that Misty had lodged with them over winter, both of the younger Trainers just simply didn't think in terms of 'tidying up.'

Misty walked through the living room, coming from the direction of the Terrace. "Night, Mrs. Ketch… Delilah," she said as she walked past. Delilah winked when the girl remembered that Ash's mother didn't like being 'Mrs. Ketchum.' Then the girl was off to her bedroom, looking as if she wasn't really concentrating on what she was doing.

A few minutes later, Ash walked in too. He seemed to be a million miles away, and he was fiddling with his ring, one of a matched pair he and Misty had exchanged earlier this year, much to Delilah's ill-concealed alarm.

It was so unusual to see her only child so deep in thought, that Delilah stopped working and watched him wander across the room. Mr. Mime didn't stop, of course. She strongly suspected that he would dust a track right across the world if she forgot to tell him to stop one day.

"Mom…" Ash suddenly said, coming back to the here-and-now. "Do you think of me as still being a kid?"

Delilah stopped herself from giving the obvious answer and considered the circumstances: A thoughtful Ash and a distracted Misty coming from the same direction. Ash fiddling with the object that rather defined their frequently tempestuous relationship. And now he asks her this unprecedented question on the subject of his image. "Well, Ash," she finally replied. "That is a difficult question for a parent to answer. It does not matter if your children are four, fourteen or forty, you will always look upon them as being just kids. It's just the way parents think, I suppose."

"Yeah," Ash replied, "but what I mean is… do I present a… uh mature image? Do I still act like a kid, or do I act like I am growing into a man?"

Delilah would have given real money to know what had brought _this_ little bit of teen angst into her son's mind. "You are only fourteen, Ash," she replied. "You still have a long way to go, believe me. If you are worried, I don't think anyone in the League will dismiss you as being 'just a kid' again. Is this about Misty?"

"No!" Ash replied a little too loudly. Delilah shot him a 'don't-give-me-that' look and waited. "Well, maybe. She said…" Ash paused and grimaced before continuing. "She said that I am 'cute' and 'adorable!'"

Delilah laughed out loud and couldn't hold it in, even when she saw the stricken look on Ash's face. "What…" Delilah asked, gasping for breath. "What is wrong with that, honey?"

"I don't want to be 'cute!'" Ash wailed. "Mom, I'm a Division Champion now, and yet still my… my best friend looks upon me as a kid! Have you any idea how horrible that is?"

Delilah sobered and looked Ash in the eye. _So that is the problem_, she concluded. "I _was_ a teenager myself, once," she reminded Ash. She gestured to the couch. "Sit," she added in a tone of command.

Ash sat down next to his mother. She reached over and grabbed his hands in hers. "Ash you must look at this from Misty's point of view. You have been friends for four years now. She knew you when you were still… well you were a pretty bratty kid when you were ten, Ash. You know that."

"I guess…" Ash admitted reluctantly.

"You have spent all that time rushing from one crisis to another," Delilah continued. "Misty has come to trust Ash the Trainer with her life, and I know you trust her the same way." Ash opened his mouth to interrupt, but Delilah silenced him by squeezing on his hands. "And yet in all that time, has she really seen Ash the Man?"

"I don't know what you mean, Mom," Ash admitted.

"You spend time together, I know," Delilah said. "But have you ever relaxed together as young adults? Have you treated her as a woman in exchange for being treated as a man?" Ash frowned as his mother continued. "If you would like Misty to start seeing you as a maturing young man, then you should take the time to show her that side of you. Show that there is more to you than Pokémon, training, battles and childish fun."

Ash nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I see what you mean," he said. There was a long pause, then he smiled gently and stood up. "Thanks Mom, you're the greatest," he said. He leaned forward, kissed her on the cheek and walked slowly out of the room. As he passed, he noticed some gift-wrapping tossed idly aside. "Litterbugs," he grumbled. He picked up the wrapping, balled it, and performed a perfect over-the-shoulder shot into the living room waste paper basket.

Delilah shook her head. Perhaps Ash was a little young to be worrying about impressing an equally-young Misty with his maturity, but it was obvious that it was the way they both had to go if their friendship was to thrive through puberty rather than stagnate. She stood up, picked up her dusting cloth and went to help the loyal and uncomplaining Mr. Mime.

**__**

Chapter 2 – Decision Time

Misty stood on Lapras' back as she backed towards the under-construction dam. Ash's Ivysaur took up most of the room on the plesiosaur-like Pokémon's back, holding a huge steel plate in her vine whips.

"A little closer, Misty," Ash requested. Misty nodded and stroked Lapras' neck, using her touch to guide her back towards the dam. "That's good, hold it there," Ash continued from where he was standing. "Okay, Pidgeotto, BJ, take your places."

Pidgeotto and Ash's new Butterfree, 'BJ' or Butterfree Junior, dropped from the skies and alighted on either end of the steel plate. "Okay," Ash said. "Start raising it _slowly_." The combined strength of the three Pokémon began to lift the plate, moving it closer and closer to the last gap in the dam. "Is it aligned, Pikachu? Jolteon?" Ash asked. His two electric-types examined the plate carefully and nodded. "Okay, take strain Pidgeotto and BJ," Ash warned. "Ivysaur, withdraw your vine whips."

"I-ivy-saur-i-i-i-vee," [About time, this thing is _heavy_,] Ivysaur grumbled as she pulled her vine whips back.

"Okay, drop it guys!" Ash shouted to his airborne friends. The steel plate clanked into place, fitting perfectly in the others assembled across the mouth of the valley. "Lighting Bolt attack, Pikachu and Jolteon."

"Pika, Pika-pi, pi-ka-pika-CHU!" [Right, Ash, here I go… NOW!] Pikachu replied. He and Jolteon unleashed a sustained lighting attack that flared across the steel. Metal flowed like water for a second until the plate was completely fused to the others.

"Okay, Misty!" Ash shouted.

"Starmi, Ice Beam!" Misty ordered her starfish-like water Pokémon. The beam of energy connected with the dam, instantly cooling the plate to room temperature. There was a little buckling, but the plate was now secure.

"Great job!" Ash exalted. He turned the other direction and whistled. Out of sight, Misty's Gyarados stopped his continuing vortex attack and allowed the river to flow again. The river slapped against the dam, which held. Water began to run through the water wheel and provided both electrical and mechanical power for the new blacksmith's workshop on the bluff over the dam.

Ash reached down and helped Misty jump off of Lapras' back. Then the two friends raised their Pokéballs and recalled their friends one-by-one, always remembering to thank them for their help.

The old blacksmith stood and gazed at the completed dam in utter surprise. "I said it was impossible to do this in a day," the smith announced. There was a hint of tears in the man's eyes as he stepped forward and shook their hands. "Yet here you are and here _it_ is. Thank you, my young friends."

"Don't mention it," Ash demurred, blushing slightly. "Trainers should always be ready to help out."

"It was a pleasure to help," Misty said, also embarrassed at such gratitude.

"I'm sure," the man said, reaching into his coat. "Now I believe we discussed a price for the day's work?" he added to Ash.

Ash nodded solemnly, much to Misty's horror. The old man pulled out a series of bills and pressed them into her friend's hands. "$5,000," the smith said with a broad smile. "That is your work rate as qualified Trainers, minus the materials, as we agreed, son."

"Thank you sir," Ash replied. "If you ever need our help again, please call."

The smith smiled and waved as Ash led Misty off. Misty was outraged. "Ash, I can't believe that you accepted money from that poor old man like that!"

"What?" Ash protested. "Misty, he's hardly poor! We've just done in a day what would have taken a building contractor a month, _and_ we did it for less than one-tenth the price! I think we deserve the money!"

"The point is, Ash," Misty replied in an angry hiss, "that Trainers are supposed to be driven by higher ideals, or so you always tell me!" Misty suddenly stopped and cocked her head at Ash in confusion. "Wait a minute, did you say 'we' deserve the money?"

Ash handed her twenty-five of the crisp $100 bills. "As you did half the work," Ash explained.

"Oh, Ash… I… I…" Misty shook her head. "I've never had this sort of money before… What the hell am I supposed to do with it?"

"That's up to you!" Ash announced with a wicked smile. "As for me…" he pumped his fist in triumph. "I aim to _spend it!_"

Misty shook her head as Ash ran off back towards the town with Pikachu running beside him, chattering in glee. Ash was singing loudly and hideously off-tune: "_I'm in the money!/I'm in the money!/I'm so happy/that I could cry!/I don't know the lyrics…_"

Misty shook her head in disbelief. After a moment staring at the wealth in her hands she tucked it away inside her vest top and walked off after her ever-exuberant friend. _If ever Ash stopped treating life as one long party_, Misty reflected, _then I will know we are in trouble_.

***

About half way to town, Ash stopped running and doubled over, out of breath. He was fit, but running the 10,000 metres at a sprint was a tall order. Pikachu stopped and stood by him, breathing hard. It was an indication of how tired the little electric mouse was that he didn't try to jump to his Trainer's shoulders.

Ash paused and then collapsed backwards onto the grassy hillock as he realised exactly what a fool he had just made of himself in front of Misty. _She's earned the right to call me 'kid' now_, Ash thought bitterly, covering his eyes. _I can't even handle being paid for a day's work like an adult, how will I handle winning the Supreme Championship? Or becoming a Master?_ Ash pulled the money out of his wallet and counted it thoughtfully. "$2,500 goes a long way, Pikachu," he told his little friend. "Longer than I really need. I wonder…" He paused and looked at Pikachu, who was looking at him in puzzlement.

"Pi-pikachu-chu-ka-pi, Pika-pi?" [You wonder what, Ash?] Pikachu asked, cocking his head quizzically.

"Why does Misty follow me around?" Ash asked.

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You will figure it out soon enough, dummy, Pikachu thought. Out loud he reminded his Trainer of what he knew so well. "Pika-chu-kachu-pi-ka-ka," [She says she wants a new bike,] he said.

"Yeah, that's what she says," Ash replied in a thoughtful tone. He lay there for a moment before suddenly slapping his head in vexation. "Waa! I've got to find out eventually!" he groaned. "Come on, Pikachu!" Ash jumped to his feet and urged Pikachu onto his shoulders. He then set off at a more moderate pace for home, and most importantly for the Mall.

***

From her own position, way behind Ash, Misty saw him stop, collapse and then continue on at a walk. "He would kill himself if he didn't have me around to help him," she said to herself. "Pure enthusiasm, that's my Ashy-boy."

***

Later that day, as the sun set in the sky, Misty was returning from a dual-purpose shopping trip. Firstly, she had deposited her wage in her bank account, and then she had proceeded on a credit card-fuelled shopping expedition. Consequently, she was weighed down with several bags of new clothes. She loved dressing up in formal wear, but her sisters did it so much better than she that she often felt too self-conscious to actually be seen wearing it. She realised that very few people had seen her in a formal evening dress.

As she struggled down the road towards the Ketchum house, she saw Ash, who was leaning nonchalantly against a tree, his cap pulled down to shield his eyes. He looked every bit the 'Mr. Cool.' Misty felt a certain satisfaction that he was wearing the new long sports jacket she had bought him for his birthday. She restrained a giggle when she saw Pikachu in an identical position beside him.

"Hi, Misty," Ash said. "Gee, you look like you are having a lot of trouble getting that stuff home."

"Very observant," she snapped in return. She then switched to a tone of disbelief. "Are you actually offering to help?" 

"Sort of," Ash replied. She noticed that his chocolate-brown eyes were sparkling with some repressed happiness and his whole posture radiated self-satisfaction. "Misty, I told you that it would take me a while and it has. Four whole years, but now you will be able to get that load of yours home without a hint of trouble."

"What are you talking about, Ash?" Misty asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"I am talking about this," Ash explained. He walked behind the tree… and wheeled out a sparkling new red mountain bike with all the mod cons, including saddlebags. "I promised, Misty," Ash said, smiling gently. "And now I can deliver."

"Oh Ash!" Misty said. She walked forward and ran her hands over the sleek aluminium frame. "You mean… this is for me?"

"Duh! No, it's for Magikarp," Ash replied. "Oh! I forgot he doesn't have any legs, well you can have it then!"

Misty was too amazed to respond to Ash's needling. "Oh Ash, this is beautiful," Misty replied. "It is even better than the one I lost… Thank you." She walked over and hugged her friend, tears starting in her eyes.

"Now you don't have any reason to follow me, Misty," Ash said gently. _At least none you've told me about_ he added to himself in a nervous way, fearing the answer.

Misty broke contact and backed off, her face becoming worried. "I…" she said, realising with a sinking dread that he was right. "Yes. You have paid your debt to me, Ash. You've proven me wrong and I am glad for that. Thank you…" Misty stepped back, wheeling the bike away from Ash. When her back was turned she wiped her eyes and swallowed a sob. _This is it_ she realised. _This is the moment when he tells me to get out of his life. And I deserve it for the way I've treated him over the years_. "So!" Misty said, turning back with an expression of false cheer. "I should head back home to Cerulean City now. Thanks again, Ash. I…" she sobbed, tears running down her face unchecked, surprising Ash, who had no idea what was she was talking about. "Just give me a few minutes to get my stuff… to thank your Mom and Professor Oak and…" she began to cry. "And to say goodbye to my friends. Don't worry. I'll soon be out of your way…" She hid her face. "I am sorry for causing you so much trouble. I won't cause you any more… just… just promise me that you will let me be there… wh… when… when you become…" tears began to fall to the ground, "when you become a Master… I…"

"Misty," Ash said in amazement. He walked over and grabbed her hands on the handlebars. "I don't want you to go. Hell, who gave you that idea?" He wiped away the tears with a tender expression. "Misty, you are my friend! Why should I want you to go?" He shook his head. "It wouldn't be worth the effort without you around."

"Wh… what about… Br… Brock and Tracey?" Misty asked, still sobbing.

"They are my friends, too," Ash admitted, "but you are a _special_ friend. I'm closer to you than I am to anyone else, even closer than I am to my Mom sometimes. You have been there through all the times, good and bad, and you keep me focussed. Life wouldn't be anywhere nearly as good without you around." Misty began to bawl uncontrollably and hugged Ash hard, the bike falling unnoticed and forgotten to the sidewalk. "Misty," Ash pleaded, hugging her back, tears starting in his own eyes, though he didn't understand why, "please stop crying… please."

More than one passer-by wondered what was happening with the two crying young teenagers standing by the tree next to a fallen bicycle. Most of them, incorrectly, assumed that the girl had fallen off the bicycle and her boyfriend was trying to comfort her.

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He likes me… he likes me… he likes me… was all Misty could think as her pubescent emotions whipped up a storm in her heart.

__

Why is she crying? She should be happy! Why does she think that I want her to leave? I don't understand! Ash was thinking desperately.

Finally, they stopped crying, much to the relief of Pikachu, who had started crying too as he sensed the terribly confused teenaged emotions crashing around in his Trainer's heart. Ash led Misty over to the tree and the two friends sat down. "I'm sorry Ash," Misty said, blowing her nose on a proffered handkerchief. "I haven't been like this since my Mom died… What must you think?"

"I… I don't know what to think," Ash admitted, wiping his red eyes. He looked at Misty and saw how strangely vulnerable and… _beautiful_ she looked. 

Ash tried to clamp down on his reaction, but he could not. Powerful imperatives hard-coded into human DNA from before the time humanity reached the top of the food chain, from before even the dawn of conscious thought, over-rode his efforts. He leaned forward and kissed her on her trembling lips. Misty responded with a desperate need and a passion that amazed them both. They grabbed each other by the head to prolong the kiss and the sudden emotional explosion created such a strong empathic reaction that Pikachu began to coo sensually.

Therefore, it was Pikachu who saved them. Amazed at his little friend's reaction, Ash broke contact and reared back, looking at the smiling electric mouse. Misty was amazed, both at Pikachu's response, Ash's actions and her own reaction to that unexpected act.

"I… I'm sorry," Ash stammered. _She will hate me for taking advantage of her like this_, Ash thought with a dull throb of fear.

"You're _sorry_?" Misty squeaked. "That was… that was a kiss!" She shook her head. "I have _never_ been kissed like that before!" Ash blushed and looked away.

There was an awkward silence for a long time before Ash decided that sticking to the practical was his best bet. "Um… We should head for home now," he announced. He helped Misty stand up and smiled slightly. "My place of course. What made you think I wanted you to go back to Cerulean?"

"I don't know," Misty admitted. "I… I thought you hated me, Ash. I thought I was just that pesky girl who wouldn't leave you alone!"

Ash laughed, releasing the tension that had built up in the air. "I guess you were at first," he admitted. "But pretty quickly you became my best friend. I know I would have never won the Division this year if you hadn't been there for the last four years." Misty blushed at that admission and looked away.

Misty deposited Pikachu on her bike's saddle and together, she and Ash walked towards home. They walked in a companionable silence for a moment before Ash laughed gently. "I almost forgot," he said to himself.

"Forgot what?"

"There is a classic movie from the late 20th Century at the old Classic Picture House," Ash said. "I saw it advertised on the local news web page. It looks like it might be one you'd like." Ash's eyes twinkled with mischief in the twilight. "It's about the oceans. It's called _Deep Blue Sea_. Some kind of action picture, I think, but it is entirely set at sea."

"That sounds nice," Misty said neutrally, wondering where this was going.

"Would… um, would you like to see it?" Ash asked. "I wasn't going to go, but I would be glad to if you want to go… I mean… my treat and everything…"

Misty stopped and smiled. In the deepening twilight, she looked exotic and mysterious, not like a tomboy at all. "Ash," she asked in a serious tone. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"No!" Ash shouted. He modulated his tone as he continued, but the look of amazement and glee on Misty's smiling face reduced him to incoherence. His face burned bright red as his carefully planned invitation turned into babbling gibberish. "God no, of course not… No nothing like that… I… uh… I want to… waa… I want to take you to see the picture… if you want to see it, I mean… and… uh… I wuh… wonder if, afterward… no pressure or anything… um… if you would like to have a… waa… a dinner at the Plaza Restaurant… if… um… if you feel hungry… and then I could… uh, like… uh… I could walk you home… if you don't want to take the bus and… um… uh… waa…" Ash's voice trailed off helplessly. _This is the bit where she laughs in my face and whacks me with her mallet_, he thought with a sinking dread.

Misty's eyes began to tear up again and her bottom lip began to tremble. "No one has ever asked me on a date before," she revealed. "Here I am, one of the Sensational Sisters, and I have never had a date…"

That decided Ash. _What the hell, I didn't want to live to be old, anyway_, he thought. He grabbed her hands. "Until now. Yes, Misty Waterflower, I'm asking you on a date. You would make me very happy if you accepted." He blushed. "Um, but as I say, no pressure."

"Yes," Misty said quietly. "I really want to go and see that movie…" her voice began to tremble. "And I want to have a dinner with you afterwards… and… and have you walk me home…" Suddenly she was hugging Ash again, and Ash hugged her back feeling monstrously and undeservingly lucky.

"Pika-pi… PIIIIII!" [Ash… WHOAH!] Pikachu yelled as the bike toppled over again, spilling him onto the pavement. He automatically launched off a Thundershock attack that flashed around Ash and Misty, blowing them, still hugging, into someone's garden.

The two were feeling toasted extra crispy as they pulled each other off of the ground, but the emotional spell was finally broken, and they were just young friends again who laughed at their blackened clothes and faces and were able to head home without any extra tension between them. "Two nights from now?" Ash asked.

"That would be wonderful," Misty responded. No one thought it the slightest bit strange that Ash slid a hand around Misty's waist and she leant her head on his shoulder as they walked back towards the Ketchum house.

**__**

Chapter 3 – But… but what do I do?

Delilah would have _really_ liked to known what had happened today. Her son and Misty returned from their day just after sunset. The first Delilah knew about Ash's 'revised training' was when he nonchalantly asked her to open the garage. Delilah complied and watched Misty roll her new bicycle inside. Then she realised that her son had acquired a source of funds independent of his League Trust Fund, which was keeping his Championship Winner's Purse until he reached sixteen and the legal age of responsibility.

Misty smiled gently and thanked Ash for the bike again, kissing him on the cheek before entering the house. Delilah, as she closed the garage, caught her son blush like a warning beacon. However, what interested her was the fact both of them were red-eyed and there were the unmistakable marks of tears on their cheeks. Even Pikachu seemed slightly subdued.

When asked, Ash waved off his mother's queries. "We… um… I just guess Misty was glad to have her new bike, Mom," was all Ash was willing to say. Misty said even less. However, Delilah noticed two critical new behaviour patterns. For once, there was no banter and teasing at the dinner table, and as they watched the evening television, Ash and Misty claimed the couch together.

It wouldn't have been the first time that they sat together, especially when the Pokémon League Channel's daily round-up came on. Delilah often caught them quietly discussing strategy and Pokémon selections. What surprised her, possibly amazed her, nay, _horrified_ her, was that, as the evening turned to night, Misty seemed to relax around Ash a lot. So much that she ended up lying on the couch with her head in Ash's lap. Ash didn't seem to mind. Indeed he didn't even really seem to notice. He was too busy watching the TV and idly stroking Misty's hair. 

Finally, Delilah called it a night and Ash reluctantly agreed. He smiled at Misty as she got up and called a sleepy Pikachu to his shoulders. "See you guys in the morning," Ash said with a deep yawn as he mounted the stairs.

"In the morning, Ash," Delilah responded.

"'Night, Ash," Misty said quietly.

Delilah looked at Misty thoughtfully. There was no doubt in her mind that something had happened today that had totally changed the parameters of Ash and Misty's relationship. And it was nothing to do with that bike that Misty had been gently needling Ash about for the last four years. The bike might be the catalyst, Delilah acknowledged, but there was something else. 

Delilah began to fret. A part of her reminded her that Ash and Misty were growing up and that she had no right to intrude in their relationship, no matter what form it took. Another part, though, recalled that they were both only fourteen. They were still young, immature and horribly vulnerable to the emotional and physical pitfalls that existed in passion, all of which they were ill equipped to deal with. Ash was still her son, and Misty had become the daughter that she was fated never to bear herself, and she would be negligent if she didn't show some care for them.

"Misty," she said quietly. "I think we should have a little woman-to-woman talk."

Misty turned around and smiled in a shaky, uncertain way. "Yes," she agreed. "I really need your help, Delilah."

Delilah was shocked at that and gestured for Misty to sit next to her. "Misty," Delilah began. "What you and Ash do in your own time is your own business." She paused. "Now I don't know what happened today… but I have seen the difference it has made to you two. So, I am going to ask you to be careful. Be sure, be _damn_ sure, that you really want to do whatever you are going to do. Remember that you are still both still young, and you could both be hurt really badly if you rush into something."

Misty looked at her so strangely that Delilah wondered if she had totally misinterpreted everything that had happened this evening. "Well, I'll bear that in mind," Misty replied. "The thing is, Delilah, that Ash asked me…" she paused and Delilah held her breath. "He asked me to go out with him… on a date I mean…"

"A date?" Delilah replied in a stupid tone of voice. _My baby is growing up!_ she bawled inside her head. She shook her head. "So what is it you need from me?"

"Uh, this is silly," Misty said. "I really don't know what to say." Misty looked around and drew a deep breath before speaking. "The thing is Delilah… I've never been on a date before. Before today, I haven't ever even been _kissed_. Ash has been so kind and I don't want to disappoint him… I want to make it wonderful for him, but I don't know how!" To Delilah's surprise, Misty was starting to cry. She hugged the girl and tried to comfort her as best as she could. "All my life I've dreamed of someone actually liking me like this," Misty began to sob. "Now Ash has come along and asked me out… and I don't know what to do!"

"Misty," Delilah shook her head and broke off her thought. She remembered how she felt before her first date with Joe. She was a wreck then, and she had to expect Misty to feel the same now. "Misty, dear, why are you worrying?" Misty looked up at her in surprise and Delilah continued. "Ash really does like you, dear. I know he is going to be worrying about how to make the best impression for you. Why don't you try being yourself and simply enjoy what he has planned?"

"_Because I love him so very, very much!_" Misty wailed, making Delilah jump. The girl crumpled and began to weep uncontrollably onto Delilah's lap. "I dream about him every night… about us being… together… I… I… I couldn't live without him and I don't want to try. Now he's asked me out and I am terrified! I'm afraid that I will say or do the wrong thing and he will hate me forever!" 

Delilah shook her head in amazement at the sheer scale and power of Misty's affliction. She stroked the girl's hair in an effort at comforting her as she continued to sob and pour out her heart. "I've always been the 'scrawny runt,'" Misty sobbed. "But Ash makes me feel so good! He treats me as an equal… a friend. He values what I say and wants my company… He kissed me today… Oh God it felt so good… He… he… he… he _wanted _me. I could feel it! No one has ever wanted me before… I… I love him and I will die if I can't keep him. I'll die! I'll kill myself rather than live without him! What if he doesn't feel this way? Oh God, what if he just wants a friend? Can I live like that? I can't, Delilah! I can't! Please, you've got to help me!"

Delilah smiled sympathetically and made some reassuring noises as the storm of Misty's emotions ran their natural course and died down. "Are you alright now?" she asked gently. Misty drew in a deep, shuddering breath and managed to look up with a brave smile. "Now you listen to me," Delilah said firmly. "You are still little more than children, Misty, you and Ash both. Right now your bodies are growing up. There are changes, physical and chemical, that will make it so very difficult for you to make clear decisions. I want you to do something for me, Misty. I want you to promise me that you will not go off half-cocked, no matter how certain you are that you love my son." Delilah touched Misty's cheek in concern. "Please, for both your sakes, be willing to wait. If this is real," she continued with a bittersweet smile, "then it will be worth it, believe me."

Misty nodded gently. "I promise," she whispered. "I don't know what you must think of me…"

"I think that you genuinely care for my son and want to make this date an enjoyable one," Delilah replied. "As to what you can do…" Delilah cocked her head and looked at the boyish girl, with her scruffy hair, cosmetic-free face and weird short ponytail. "Dear, have you considered doing something with your personal image? You are beginning to… well… develop and I don't think you will be able to keep the 'tomboy' image intact for much longer." 

Misty blushed at that. "The horrible truth is that my eldest sister, Daisy, always did my hair, costumes and make-up for the water ballet," Misty replied. "I really wouldn't even know how to start."

Delilah stood Misty up and looked her over. She observed the girl's curves thoughtfully before continuing. "For a start, you _really _need to start wearing a bra." On a whim, she pulled off Misty's hair band and pulled out her hair clips, allowing her waist-length ginger-red hair spill down to its natural length. "Well, that was unexpected," she replied. "I can see a little of why the boys call you and your sisters 'The Sensational Sisters!"

"I don't like having long hair," Misty admitted.

"Then why don't you have it cut and styled?" Delilah asked in a strange tone.

"Daisy wouldn't let me…" Misty whispered in embarrassment. "She said I needed to keep it long for the shows…"

Delilah shook her head. "If I ever meet your eldest sister, I will have some very harsh words for her," she said. "You are not their slave, Misty. You have your own life, your own likes and dislikes, and you don't have to defer to your sisters' desires when it comes to your personal image."

"They would be angry," Misty predicted, wringing her hands together.

"Let them be angry," Delilah replied. "It's none of their business. Would _you_ like it short?"

"Maybe a little like Ash's hairstyle," Misty said. "Not 'male' short, but no longer than shoulder length, with a spiky front fringe like Ash's." 

Delilah smiled and nodded encouragingly. "Now about make-up," Delilah said. "Never simply spread it on. It is supposed to highlight the bits you want to highlight and cover up what you _don't _want them to notice." She took Misty by the elbow and led her up the stairs. "Scents are important too. That awful hussy from Team Rocket you often encounter must marinade herself in that rose scent of hers. You are supposed to add only a little…"

***

Next morning, Ash sought out Brock at the Pallet Central Mall, where he was often found, trawling for potential dates. The lack of a Pokémon Centre in Pallet Town meant that there was no Nurse Joy to proposition. "Hey, Brock-o."

"Ash, hello," Brock said, turning his attention from a bunch of pretty ladies from a local office. "What brings you here? I thought you would be training!"

"Well, something has come up," Ash admitted. "I need your advice, man."

"My advice?" Brock sat up straight and looked at his friend, noticing the embarrassment in his eyes. "What about?"

"I've asked Misty out on a date," Ash said quietly.

"And she said yes?" Brock asked in a tone of incredulity.

"Yeah," Ash said, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

Brock laughed out loud and uttered a loud whoop of victory, making Ash wince. "Well it's about damn time, pal! What do you need advice on?" Brock winked and dropped his voice to a seductive whisper. "I know a few good moves and plenty of sweet nothings to whisper in her ear…" Brock trailed off when he saw the mortification on Ash's face.

"Brock this isn't one of your little one-night passion jobs," Ash protested. Brock sobered up and listened as his friend continued to explain. "You know how important Misty is to me! I want her to have the best night of her life and I _don't_ want to screw this up. The dumb thing is, though, I don't have the first clue what to do!"

Brock smiled again and shook his head. "Maybe I'm not the right person to ask, Ash," he replied. "I don't have a good track record in making it past the first date." He shrugged. "You really should ask someone else."

"Like who?" Ash almost wailed. "Gary? You know how _he_ would react! Professor Oak? Jeez, I'm not even sure he _notices _other people some times. As for Tracey…" Ash stopped and blushed. "Brock, you know that Tracey… he doesn't _like _girls… not like that. You've got to help me, buddy, I'm desperate here!"

Brock sighed and shook his head. _My poor teenaged friend_, he thought. _If you knew how I screwed up my one serious relationship, you wouldn't be so keen on my sage advice_. He sighed again and rose to his feet. "I guess you're right," he allowed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Okay, personal image. Is this going to be a full formal thing or are you two just hanging for the evening?"

"We aren't going to the Pallet Dances, Brock," Ash replied, blushing slightly. "I'm just taking her out to a movie with a meal afterwards."

"Okay, so casual but neat," Brock said. "We _are_ going to have to do something about this," he said, roughing up Ash's chaotic hair.

"What's wrong with it?" Ash asked, horrified.

"Nothing if Misty were a hedgehog," Brock responded. He began to lead Ash deeper into the maze of shops while continuing to muse on the necessary changes. "So, we tidy up the ol' thatches. Secondly, I think we should find you some casual wear that _hasn't_ been with you through all weather conditions and been toasted by Charizard more times than I care to remember…"

***

"I really don't know what to do, Sam," Delilah confessed.

On the videophone monitor, Professor Sam Oak laughed and shook his head. "Delilah, I really think you are over-reacting here."

"Am I?" she choked. "My little baby boy has asked Misty out on a date! He's only fourteen, Sam… I'm afraid I'm going to loose him before I even know him!" Delilah knew she was sounding silly, but she had to tell _someone_ she felt like this.

"Yes," Sam said soothingly. "He has asked her out on a date, Delilah. But for goodness sake, that is all he has done! He has invited her out to watch a movie and have a dinner afterwards! It isn't as if he has declared he is getting a double bed or has asked the doctor about having a fertility inhibiting implant or anything!"

"I know I sound silly, Sam," Delilah admitted. "It… It has just come so soon, that's all."

"It always comes too soon," Professor Oak replied, speaking from the experience of a man who is a father _and_ a grandfather.

**__**

Chapter 4 – The Big Night

Ash stood in the upstairs hallway of his home, counting in Pikachu-talk, trying to stay focussed, stay calm. He checked his watch. Yep, just as he thought. It was five seconds since the last time he checked. _I am going mad!_ He screamed in his head. _If she doesn't come out in, like, ten seconds, I will start screaming!_ Of course, he had been making that prediction all day now.

Misty stood in front of the mirror. She reluctantly admitted that, thanks to Delilah's sage advice, she had done a fairly good job. _Mommy, look out for me_, she prayed fervently. She drew in a deep breath, counted to five and reached for the doorknob.

She opened the door. Ash had this lovely speech all ready, but when he saw Misty, his entire mind jumped the rails and he had to work very hard not to start drooling like a village idiot. 

It wasn't as if she was in anything particularly _elegant_ it was just… that he had never seen her look so… feminine before. She was wearing a pair of full-length light blue slacks (not her usual short-cut jeans), which were generally loose but certainly highlighted the curve of her hips. She wore a light, white satin vest top and a peach-coloured loose cardigan that was off one shoulder. Both highlighted the curve of her bosom, making him wonder why he had never noticed before. She had cut her hair to just below the level of her shoulders and had left little bangs curving down her cheeks and had combed her fringe forward into a spiky style like his own. She was wearing small ear-ring studs, a small loose gold bracelet and a lovely silver necklace with a small teardrop pendant, like the emblem of her home Cascade Gym. There was an elegant minimum of make-up that confirmed that, yes, she _did_ have wide, smiling lips and a little rouge to highlight her high, light cheek bones.

Misty took in the sight before her and desperately fought to stop herself from fainting. 

Ash looked… wow… he looked so… masculine! Why hadn't she noticed the way he had grown so tall and muscled up in the last year or so? He was wearing a pair of dark khaki trousers and a delicious long-sleeve black cotton shirt, open at the very top of neck to reveal just a hint of hair on that chest. _Hey, why didn't I see that before? It's not as if I haven't seen him swim recently!_ The shirt also showed that he was substantially wider across the shoulder than he was around the waist. He had cleaned up his hair, she noticed. The chaos was gone, though the spiky fringes remained. Instead his black hair was neatly combed and actually seemed to fit his head for once. A single light golden ID bracelet circled his right wrist. In his hand, he held a bunch of flowers.

Ash swallowed as he took in the vision before him. "I…" he said. "I… um… hi, Misty." He suddenly remembered his gift and managed to jerk his arm up to hold it out to her, even though it made him look like an ill-operated marionette. "I got you… er… these."

Misty felt tears start in her eyes as she accepted the posies from Ash. "Oh they are beautiful," she said. She breathed in their scent and hoped that they would hide her tears from Ash. "Thank you, Ash," she added. "Um… I think I'm more or less ready…" Misty put the flowers in a small vase on her dresser. Then she picked up her handbag and tucked it nervously under her right arm.

"Oh! Right!" Ash said. "Yeah, ready… Okay then." He stepped back and gestured that she should precede him down the hall and stairs.

Delilah watched the two young people walk down the stairs. Ash had, somehow, found the demeanour and habits of a gentleman. He helped Misty put on her dark coat before pulling on his own long grey jacket. Pikachu jumped to his shoulders. "Is he coming too?" Misty asked with some amusement.

"Oh yeah," Ash said with a laugh. "He doesn't trust me on my own. He says that if he leaves me alone, something terrible would likely happen." Misty laughed at that. 

"Pi-chu-ka-pi-pi-chu, Pika-pi," [Something terrible _would_ happen without me, Ash,] Pikachu said with some pomposity.

"We could take Togepi if you want," Ash offered.

Misty shook her head. "No, Togepi is asleep now, and he is just as happy with his 'grandma' as he is with me." She smiled at Delilah and nodded in thanks.

Ash then opened the door and held it for Misty to leave before him. "Okay, Mom," he called to her. "We should be back round about 10, but you know how it is, it may be a little later."

"See you later Ash, Misty," Delilah replied in a casual tone of voice.

"Mi-mi-mister-mime!" [Have a good time!] Mr. Mime added, waving happily. 

Ash nodded, closed the door. Delilah waited until the sound of their footsteps faded and then crumpled in on herself, crying in a mixture of sadness and joy in the intolerably empty house.

***

Ash and Misty walked away from the Classic Picture House, laughing their heads off. "Oh… oh man, I can't believe that was supposed to be scary," Ash gasped. _Deep Blue Sea_ had failed to live up to it's billing as an action horror movie.

Misty held her sides, laughing uncontrollably. "And those big fish… sharks! They are so limited! Just two attacks: Bite and Body Slam! How could they intimidate _anyone_? I could have beat them all with just Starmie!"

"Yeah," Ash said. "I mean if they were Gyarados… or maybe one of those new oceanic types that are being discovered… Now _that _would be scary!"

Misty laughed again and Ash hugged her. She leaned in close and closed her eyes for a moment. "Thanks, Ash," she said. "That was lovely. I really enjoyed seeing that with you."

"It isn't over yet, Misty," Ash promised. He hailed a cab the old fashioned way, by whistling loudly and waving. "The Plaza Restaurant," he told the driver after he and Misty had boarded.

***

"So, James, Jessie, Meowth, are you ready?"

"We're ready, Boss."

"Good. I have something of a change of pace for you today." The image changed to a map of Pallet Town. A single building was highlighted and replaced by a series of photos. "The Plaza Restaurant, Pallet Town. The chosen dining place for the rich, famous and of courting couples in the town. I want you two to give it your special attention."

"You mean rob the place and the patrons?"

"That's right, Jessie. Pokémon aren't your priority, though they are a bonus. Although we don't need the money, I want you to concentrate on the patrons. This is for effect, people. I want to the populace to remember that Team Rocket is the ultimate power in Indigo. The Security Police cannot help them, and I want them to realise it. Can you handle that?"

"Of course, Boss."

"We'll get right on it!"

"Me-owth! Dat's right!"

***

Ash and Misty sat under the open skies at the Plaza Restaurant, the most exclusive eatery in Pallet Town. It was a beautiful spot, especially at night. If one peered beyond the low-placed lighting, one could see the stars in all their majesty.

"Ash," Misty said in some concern. "I… um… I don't see any prices on this menu."

"No," Ash agreed. "Most expensive restaurants do that. It means you aren't scared off by their high prices. Its' a case of 'if you ask, you can't afford it.'"

"If it is expensive, why are we eating here?"

"Because I _can_ afford it, if only for one night," Ash declared. He touched Misty's hand, the contact making her blush. "And it is worth it to make you happy."

The waiter came over and took their order, talking in a hideous _faux_ French accent that made Ash's lips twitch with laughter. Misty kicked him in the shins to stop him from laughing out loud, but he could see the light of laughter in her eyes too.

After beginning the main course, the banter and small talk died down a little. Both had, rather foolishly, neglected to eat much today, so they were hungry. The food tasted delicious, even though Ash was certain it would reduce him to penury for the next few weeks. _She's worth it, though_, he decided. Suddenly, Ash had a desire to do this again… to do it as many times as possible. _I wonder if she likes dancing_…

Misty caught Ash's gaze and blushed slightly. _He is nothing like what I expected_, a part of her realised. _Isn't he supposed to be a success-driven brat? But he isn't. He's romantic, caring and has a wonderful sense of fun._ Misty tried to apply herself to her meal. _I wonder if he would like to do this more often…_

Suddenly a scream echoed through the open plaza area of the restaurant. Ash reacted and gasped more in amazement than fear. Misty followed his gaze and groaned. A hot-air balloon was drifting down out of the night's sky. It was shaped like a giant Meowth's head. "Can't we have one week without this continual crap?" Ash pleaded to the heavens.

Three figures jumped out of the basket, two tall humans and a single squat, grey Meowth. The humans were a blue-haired man and a red-haired woman. They landed and began to recite what sounded like a poem.

"Prepare for trouble,"

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation,"

"To unite all peoples of our nation,"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love,"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie,"

"James,"

"Team Rocket, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender or prepare for a fight."

"Meowth! Dat's right!"

Misty half rose, but Ash grabbed her hand and shook his head. She saw hardness in his eyes that she recognised as 'Battle Mode.' He grinned and winked.

James strolled forward as the Matre'd tried to intercept him. "Sir, please, you need a reservation to get a table."

James paused, completely nonplussed by this unexpected remark. Jessie walked up besides him and picked up a bottle of wine. "Chateau Picard, the 2044 pressing," she said, reading the label. She suddenly reversed the bottle and smashed it over the Matre'd's head. After he hit the ground, she idly stepped over his unconscious body. "A superior vintage," Jessie remarked to herself, discarding the remains of the bottle.

"Nice one, Jessie," James chuckled. With an idle gesture, he tipped a diner out of his seat and used the chair as a boost to get up on the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?" he called out as Jessie joined him on the table. "We are the representatives of Team Rocket. Now I am sorry to interrupt your dinners, however I am afraid we have a task to complete. My partner and I will begin to pass around some bags. We would be grateful if you could kindly put all your wallets, purses and Pokéballs into those bags and pass them around. And _no_ naughty hiding anything from us. If you co-operate, I promise we will be gone soon enough."

"You will be gone sooner, James," announced a voice.

James turned to see a man and a woman standing a few yards away, glaring at them dangerously. "Who the hell are you?" James hissed.

"Don't you recognise us, James?" asked the woman with a hint of a smile.

"James!" Jessie gasped. "It's the twerps!"

"Are you sure?" James asked. They looked _nothing_ like the twerps he knew and hated. He shook his head. It didn't matter. "Meowth, use a Furry attack to knock them down!"

"Me-owowowowth!" Meowth shouted as he charged, claws bared.

Ash's lips twitched. "Pikachu, if you please…"

"Pika-CHU!" Meowth was struck by a Lightning Bolt attack and was blown back into Jessie's arms.

"It _is_ them," James shouted just as Pikachu fired a Thundershock. The massive electrical discharge enveloped the three terrorists and blew them off of the table and across the Plaza. People jumped to their feet, as the heist became a battle.

"Everyone stay in your seats!" Ash shouted as he and Misty jumped the fence. "We'll deal with this!"

Jessie, James and Meowth staggered to their feet. "You will pay for this!" James shouted. "Weezing, go!"

"Likatung, I choose you!" Jessie added.

Ash responded by selecting Charizard. Misty released Staryu.

"Weezing, smog attack, choke them!"

"Tempest Wind Attack!" Ash countered. This was unexpected, to use a non-fire attack from Charizard. The massive forward blast from the dragon's wings blew Weezing's smokescreen back onto the Rockets and then away.

James coughed and wiped his eyes. "Counterpunch attack!" he shouted.

"Weez!" Weezing shot forward, trying to head-butt Charizard. Unexpectedly, the dragon ducked and Staryu, who twirled past like a massive shuriken, struck Weezing knocking the poison-type aside.

"Lickatung, close in and help Weezing!" Jessie shouted. "Lick slap attack!"

Lickatung's massive tongue shot out towards Staryu, but before he could connect with the twirling water-type, he disappeared in a massive firestorm breathed out by Charizard. Lickatung was charred extra crispy and tumbled over, unconscious. "Oh no, Lickatung!" Jessie wailed. "Return! Go Arbok!" Jessie's huge purple cobra materialised just in time to get a bop across the head from Staryu.

"Sludge attack, Weezing," James shouted as Weezing came racing back into the battle. Weezing spat a blob of poisonous goo that Charizard evaporated with a fireball.

Ash recalled Charizard and selected Pidgeotto. He ordered the bird into a dogfight with Weezing. The slower poison-type stood no chance against such an opponent and received a series of Razor Wing strikes and staggered away.

"Smokescreen defence," James ordered with a wince. Simultaneously, Jessie ordered Arbok to launch a hail of venom darts at Misty and Staryu, but Misty had already swapped Staryu for her Squirtle. The venom darts shot into a water cannon attack and were washed away.

"Tornado attack," Ash ordered Pidgeotto, pointing first at Weezing, then at the Rockets.

"Pidgee!" Pidgeotto shouted gleefully. The bird began to circle fast, generating a massive vortex that sucked up Weezing, smokescreen and all. He then funnelled the tornado into James. Weezing struck the terrorist like a massive organic cannonball, throwing him across the plaza and through a plate glass window on the front of a closed shop.

"Withdraw!" Jessie shouted as Arbok got another Shell Butt attack across the head. The woman and her groggy cobra retreated over to the window, where Meowth was pulling a lacerated and stunned James to his feet.

"Meowth, dey never fought like dis before!" Meowth cried in terror as Ash and Misty closed to press their attack.

"Misty, take their six," Ash shouted.

"Right!" Misty responded. 

"Weezing is out of it," James reported, recalling his poison-type with an expression of regret. That leaves us with Meowth, Arbok and…" he sighed. "And Victreebell."

Jessie groaned but nodded agreement. James released his plant-type, and was surprised when it didn't swallow him immediately. Jessie looked back at their adversaries and saw that Ash was standing alone. She didn't know where that scrawny twerp was and she didn't really care. "Arbok! Another Venom Dart attack!"

"Chaa-rr-bok!" The venom darts spat forward again. This time, they were caught in Pidgeotto's Slipstream defence, dragged away by a high wind to fall uselessly to the cobbles. Ash grinned and gestured to either side of the Rockets. Pidgeotto immediately launched a series of Razor Feather Throw attacks, hemming them in.

"Victreebell, Vine Whip attack," James ordered. The vines raced out towards Ash and Pikachu, only to be severed halfway along their length by Pidgeotto's razor wings.

"Beeeeeelllll!" Victreebell howled in pain. The pain drove the half-trained plant-type Pokémon berserk and James had to recall her as she lashed out randomly with whip and leaf. He would have had more trouble doing so if it had not been blown over by a Water Gun attack from behind. That is when James saw Misty again. She and Squirtle were behind them now. The next Water Gun attack blew James off of his feet and he slid to a halt beside Jessie.

"Herd 'em and shock 'em!" Ash shouted over the sounds of chaos.

"Got it!" Misty replied.

James groaned and pulled himself to his feet, still feeling the sting of his glass cuts. Jessie groaned in pain and rubbed the vine whip welts on her face and arms. The two Rockets went back-to-back in a final defiant posture. Arbok coiled defensively around Jessie and Meowth, still smouldering from Pikachu's earlier attack, bravely interposed himself between James and Ash. 

Ash recalled Pidgeotto in favour of Charizard again. "Charizard, flanking flame wall," Ash ordered. Charizard laid down two blazing trails of napalm-like bio-thermal flame, hemming the Rockets in on either side.

"Squirtle, drench 'em," Misty added. Squirtle fired another Water Cannon attack, aiming overhead to totally soak the Rockets.

"Aah! My hair!" Jessie wailed. It was a dumb thing to say, Misty thought, but it fitted Jessie's personality well. Misty swapped Squirtle for Staryu and ordered the starfish to fire his laser pulse, cutting up the pavement. The sparks drove the Rockets down the flaming corridor towards Ash and Charizard.

Jessie looked up to see Pikachu take a place on Charizard's head. "Pikachu, Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

"Oh no!" Meowth shouted just as a massive electrostatic pulse lanced out. The drenched Team Rocket Agents and their Pokémon did not stand a chance. The energy caused them to writhe and shout in pain. The force was enough to launch them bodily into the skies.

"Looks like Team Rocket is blasting off again…" Ash clearly heard as they vanished into the night's sky. A rogue moonbeam glanced off of a bit of metal on one of their uniforms, creating a little twinkling star that quickly vanished too.

Ash punched the air and shouted "Yeah!" He recalled Charizard as Pikachu leapt off the dragon's head. Misty recalled Staryu and walked over to him. "Great teamwork, Misty," Ash said.

"Your tactics didn't stink either," Misty allowed. The two friends exchanged a high-five, then a low five as they passed each other.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exulted, jumping to his Trainer's shoulders, just as Ash and Misty hugged in glee.

The people in the restaurant were on their feet, cheering. Ash led Misty back into the plaza area. People were reaching over to thump them on their shoulders and shout their praise. Someone was helping the battered Matre'd to his feet. "I don't know how I can thank you, sir, madam," he said to them.

"It was nothing," Ash replied. "We couldn't let them get away with robbing everyone, could we?"

"Perhaps," the Matre'd allowed. "But I still think we may come to some arrangement with regard to your bill?"

***

Ash was walking Misty home. The two of them were well into their home suburb now, and Ash was looking at the stars. "There are so many," he said, almost to himself. "Uncounted islands in an ocean of space."

"Getting lyrical on me, Ash?" Misty teased.

"I was just thinking of that line in Team Rocket's motto," Ash explained. "'To extend our reach to the stars above.' That's not a bad goal. A pity about their methods."

Misty looked at Ash in some surprise. This was the first hint of deep thought he had ever shown her. "I really don't know what to expect from you, Ash," she said, shaking her head.

Ash laughed and hugged her. "I really am more of a thinking type than many people know," Ash revealed. "I don't show it much, I know, and I will deny it if asked, but I think a lot."

"What are you thinking now?" Misty asked, settling her head on Ash's shoulder.

"I'm thinking about how much I enjoyed tonight," Ash said. "Being with you… just being _alive_ and with you… was a pleasure greater than I expected." Ash smiled. "I will probably not be able to afford it for a while, but I would like to do it again some time."

Misty drew in a deep breath, remembering her promise to Ash's mother. "I'm not sure how fast I want this to go, Ash."

"As fast and as far as makes you comfortable," Ash insisted. "I'm not about to go domestic on you, don't worry about that." Misty chuckled at the unlikely image of Ash Ketchum, househusband.

"I enjoyed tonight too," Misty said after a while. "You really showed me a better side to you, Ash. I hope I can see more of it." She sighed. "I'm just sorry those Team Rocket thugs had to turn up and spoil things."

"Spoil things?" Ash asked with a laugh. "I don't know about you Misty, but I found that a highlight of the night!"

"Was I that boring?" Misty asked, feeling slightly disappointed.

"What?" Ash was puzzled. "No, you were fun, great company and wonderful just to be around. I'm talking about how we worked together, Misty. I've never worked with you so well. It is something wonderful, something I would like to treasure."

Misty shook her head. "Is the great Ash Ketchum admitting that he needs help?" she teased.

"No one can do everything," Ash replied. "Although if you tell anyone I said that, I will deny it." They both laughed before Ash continued in a serious tone. "Together we are stronger, Misty, both as people and as Trainers. That is something precious to me."

Misty looked into his eyes with some wonder. "Are you saying… that you want me to stay around?"

Ash smiled at her. "Of course I do. You are my very best, most treasured friend." _Although I would give a lot for it to be more… my love_ he added silently.

"Yes," Misty whispered. "Friends forever." _But I will love you always, even if I can never say it._

Finally they reached the house and found, much to their surprise, that the lights were off. "Mom must have gone to bed already," Ash said with a shrug. He pulled out his keys and opened the door. He gestured for Misty to enter then closed the door behind him. As he entered he looked at his watch. 10:25. Not that late. He shrugged; perhaps there was nothing on the TV to keep Mom up so late.

After helping Misty out of her jacket, he escorted her up the stairs. The two friends tiptoed past the master bedroom. Ash opened his door and turned on his low-power reading light. Then he walked Misty to her bedroom. She opened the door, stepped in and turned back to smile at Ash. "Thank you, Ash," she said. "That was the most wonderful night of my life. All of it. You were right about how we worked together being something special." She stepped back. "I am glad we've shared this much."

Ash smiled back. "I'm glad too," he said. There was a long pause before he took Misty by her right hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it courteously, making her blush slightly. "Sleep well, my water princess," he said gently.

"Sleep well, my knight of the thunder," she replied. Ash stepped back as the door closed and he returned to his room. 

Ash deposited Pikachu on his beanbag. The little electric mouse was so tired that he didn't even stir as he was moved from Ash's shoulders. He turned over with a little sigh of "Pika," then fell asleep.

Ash smiled. He took off his good clothes… that are what they would always be to him from now on… and pulled on his PJs. He looked at the wall, knowing that Misty was just behind it. He walked up, touched the wall and suddenly doubled over, as if in pain. _I love you Misty_, he thought as loudly and as firmly as he could. _I don't care if I can never say it. I don't care if you never feel the same way. Even if you find someone worthy of you and leave, you will have my blessing. I will always be there for you and I will love you with all my soul, always. And should you choose me, I will be there, forever in loyalty, because you are my only true love._

In her own room, Misty, now in her nightdress, brushed her hand across the small bouquet of posies that Ash had bought her. In a few days, they would wither and die, but the memories of tonight would never die. She let the tears fall down her face freely. _I love you, Ash_ she thought fiercely. _And even though I am unworthy of such a hero as you, I will always love and support you no matter what. I will always love you with all that I am, forever and ever. And if you should love me back, I will give you all that I am without a second thought… because I love you._

And they fell asleep under the eternal stars and, perhaps, somewhere, their vows were heard. But that is another story.

****

The End


End file.
